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The corners of her lips curved up just a little as her eyes locked on mine, and a faint blush crept across the scar on her cheek. I didn’t even try to hide what I felt. I wanted her to know just how fucking magnificent I knew her to be as I crossed the remaining distance between us.

Taking her hands in mine, I bent so my mouth was at her ear as I whispered, “I want to fuck you in this armor. Can we make that possible?”

The catch of her breath brought a smile to my face. “That may be uncomfortable for you.”

“Worth it.” I kissed the scar along her temple and straightened. “I spoke to my father.”

The pink began to fade from her cheeks, but her heart still pounded. As did mine. As did Kieran’s. “How did he take it?”

“About as well as you’d expect,” I told her, glancing at the cigar box Netta held.

“Better than I thought,” Kieran said, coming to our side. He reached over, tugging on the tail of Poppy’s braid. She sent him a grin.

“I hope that’s true,” Netta said. “Because I’m the one who’s going to be stuck with him for the foreseeable future.”

“What do you have in that box?” I asked.

Tawny arched a brow. “I was wondering the same thing.”

“The crowns,” Netta answered, holding the box for me. “Poppy left without them. I’m not sure if she actually forgot or if it was intentional.”

Poppy lifted a shoulder.

“Oh.” Tawny’s eyes widened, and I noticed that a bit of color had begun to fill them. “I haven’t even seen them.”

I lifted the lid, and Tawny’s soft inhale followed. The golden bones sat side by side, gleaming in the sunlight streaming in through the window.

“They’re beautiful.” Tawny looked up at Poppy. “I would wear that every day and night. Even to bed.”

My brow rose as I realized that I hadn’t made love to Poppy yet with the crown upon her head. A slow smile began to creep across my face. Poppy’s gaze shot to mine.

Kieran sighed. “You have, likely unintentionally, given Cas ideas.”

“I’m curious about these ideas,” Tawny remarked as I took out one crown.

“No, you’re not,” Poppy quickly said.

“Hold still,” I murmured to Poppy as I placed the crown upon her head. “Perfect.”

Tawny watched Poppy lift the remaining crown. “Are they made of actual bones?”

“They are,” I answered.

“For real?” Tawny didn’t appear as enamored with the crowns as she had a few moments before.

Poppy cringed as I lowered my head. “I try not to think about that.”

“Whose bones are they?” she asked.

“I don’t think anyone knows the answer to that,” Kieran said. “All we know is that they’re not deity bones. Some believe they’re the bones of a god.”

“Or a Primal,” Netta added. “But they only reveal their true appearance when a deity or god sits upon the throne.” She paused. “Or a Primal.”

Poppy placed the crown on my head. “There,” she whispered, her eyes glimmering as her hands lingered for a moment. Our eyes met, and the whole damn realm fell away. “Now, it’s perfect.”

Emotion clogged my throat and seized my chest. It wasn’t the crown upon my head that worked me over but the hands that had placed it there.

A horn blew from outside the Rise. I touched Poppy’s cheek and then stepped back, giving her a few moments with Netta and Tawny before it was time to part ways. My father reappeared, joining Netta and Tawny as we walked outside where our horses had been readied for us, and Naill and Emil waited with the wolven. The gray steed next to Setti was of his bloodline. Phobas had been named after the Goddess of Peace and Vengeance’s warhorse. I’d been surprised to see him here, but he would make a fine horse for Poppy.

Another horn blew, and white-and-gold banners lifted all along the road leading to the gates of Padonia and beyond. The three of us stopped at the top of the stairs. The wolven bowed their heads as a low rumble echoed from the wisteria trees. Unable to stop myself, I looked up. Four shadows fell over the lines of soldiers as Poppy reached between us, taking Kieran’s and my hands in hers.

“From blood and ash,” I shouted, lifting the hand joined with Poppy’s. People echoed the words through the town and the valley.

Poppy looked up at me and then faced the crowd as she lifted the hand that held Kieran’s. “We have risen!”

Poppy

The two-day ride to the Bone Temple, which took us through a narrow section of the Blood Forest, was mostly without incident. There were Craven attacks, but they had been dealt with quickly as General Murin and his forces rejoined us, along with La’Sere’s division, having ridden from Whitebridge and Three Rivers.

Our armies had camped just outside the Blood Forest for the night, and as the moonlight lit up the ceiling of the tent, Casteel drank from the vein at my neck, and I, upon his reassurance that he had recovered enough, took blood from the cut he made on his chest. The intimate act had become as natural as breathing, and there’d been no hesitation as he guided my lips to where his blood welled.